Billions Spent, Tents Return—Who Failed?

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass blamed Washington for a new rise in homelessness, even as the city’s own count shows encampments growing again.

Story Snapshot

Official count shows homelessness up 3.4% in Los Angeles after two years of decline.
Bass links the increase to federal and state policy shifts and reduced subsidies.
Countywide homelessness ticked up 1.2% to about 73,000 people.
Officials also cite higher living costs and fewer rental supports as drivers.

What The New Count Shows In Los Angeles

Los Angeles officials reported a 3.4% increase in the city’s homeless population in the latest annual count. The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority reported that unsheltered homelessness also rose in 2026, with more people living in cars, campers, and on sidewalks. Across Los Angeles County, the total number increased by 1.2% to roughly 73,000 people. These figures follow two years of declines, which city leaders had pointed to as signs of progress before this setback.

Local media and service agencies highlighted that more newly unhoused people are seeking help each year. The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority said that short-term rental subsidies faced cuts, which reduced permanent housing placements and slowed exits from homelessness. The agency also pointed to rising costs of living that make rent harder to cover for low-income residents. The city’s data confirms the trend but does not resolve the debate over which policy lever matters most.

What Mayor Karen Bass Is Arguing

Mayor Karen Bass tied the rise to policy shifts and funding uncertainty from higher levels of government. Her office and allied officials have argued that reduced state support and fewer short-term subsidies limited placements into stable housing. She also pointed to federal policies that, in her view, drove living costs higher, squeezing renters who were already on the edge. Bass has faced sharp pushback from critics who say City Hall must improve execution and stop shifting blame.

Local reporting shows the mayor’s position fits a common pattern in this issue. When numbers rise, leaders often cite broad economic forces, while critics cite program failures. Research and past coverage in Los Angeles stress that high rents and low housing supply drive homelessness over time, which can swamp local programs during cost spikes. That backdrop helps explain the pressure but does not settle questions about speed and scale of the city’s response.

The Larger Backdrop: Costs, Supply, And Program Limits

Past reporting and research on Los Angeles link homelessness growth to long-running problems: expensive housing, slow building, and wages that lag rent. The Los Angeles Times has detailed how countywide homelessness rose sharply in recent years, even before the pandemic’s shocks. Service groups describe the same core causes, led by a lack of affordable housing and income strain for working families. These factors make it easier to fall into homelessness and harder to exit once a crisis begins.

🚨 Karen Bass promised to end street homelessness in LA by 2026.

It’s 2026.
⁰Homelessness is up.
⁰Unsheltered is up nearly 8%.

Her response? Blame Trump. Blame bureaucrats. Blame everyone but herself.

Wall Street Journal: She blew hundreds of millions on programs that… pic.twitter.com/aMTKTf7UKY

— Trent Leisy (@realTrentLeisy) July 26, 2026

Officials also say more people are entering homelessness for the first time, straining shelters and outreach teams. The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority reported a thirty percent rise in newly unhoused people seeking services between 2022 and 2025, which pushed demand above placement capacity. State cuts to local rental aid programs further reduced permanent housing moves, according to the same brief. Together, these forces can erase gains from encampment moves or shelter expansions in any single year.

Why This Matters To Taxpayers And Neighborhoods

Los Angeles has spent billions over many years, yet street conditions still frustrate families and small businesses. Residents want clean sidewalks, safe parks, and accountability for results. The city’s new increase raises hard questions: Are dollars reaching people fast enough? Are rules on drugs, crime, and camping being enforced in a way that protects the public while helping those in need? Data show pressures are real, but voters also expect basic order and clear outcomes from local leaders.

Supporters of the mayor say broad economics limit what any city can do in a year. Critics answer that management, priorities, and transparency still matter day to day. Both points can be true. The latest count confirms a setback after earlier declines. It also confirms money alone does not fix a supply crunch or replace strong oversight. The path forward likely needs both: more housing that people can afford and tougher, results-driven execution on the streets.